Sin Scissors & Scythe

Sins are a family of enemies in Devil May Cry that all share similar characteristics. They fly, can travel through walls, and are immune to all attacks except those aimed at their heads. A stronger version of the Sins are the Deaths.

Description
The Sins as they are called, are low-class demons that can only exist by taking a shape of physical objects, mostly a black robe resembling that of the Grim Reaper. These wicked spirits have chosen deadly weapons such as scissors or scythes as their shape. They are also are dependent on the masks they wear: They cannot exist without them. Their capes are nothing but illusions, and are impervious to physical attacks.

Sins
Sins come in two varieties, based on the weapon they use: Sin Scissors and Sin Scythes. Both wear masks to maintain not only their form, but their power as well when in the Human World. Their bodies seem to consist only of robes filled with dark, almost ethereal energy.

True to their name, Sin Scissors use a pair of rusted scissors to tear and clip at their foes, while Sin Scythes use scythes to rip and slice their enemies to pieces. Both are capable of flying, as well as phasing in and out of walls. With both of these enemies, it is best to keep moving when they descend near your position. The Sin Scythes are almost identical to the Sin Scissors, except that they emphasize fast, multi-hit attacks. The primary attack to watch out for is the “Boomerang Scythe” technique they will occasionally use. The best way to weaken these two forms is to shoot their masks with a firearm, the Shotgun being particularly effective at close-range. Their haunting laughter echoes as these demons approach, and will also be heard when they are defeated.

Deaths
More powerful versions of the Sins, they wear a large skull mask, adorned with horns. Their bodies are similar to the Sins, but their aura is a fiery crimson. As with Sins, they come in two varieties: Death Scissors and Death Scythes. Both share the ability to cripple Dante's offensive capabilities by concentrating demonic energy into their masks (indicated by the mask glowing for the duration of this attack). Being a more powerful opponent, their attack methods are far more varied; in particular, beware of their corkscrew attack which can easily catch an unwary opponent off guard. As with the Sins, their weakness is their mask. The Death Scythes are the more powerful of the two, as a direct hit from one of their attacks on Dante Must Die difficulty will deal a critical amount of damage and you’ll likely be in danger of dying. Their laughter, more terrifying and imposing than that of the Sins, echoes when they approach, and echoes again when they die.

Strategy
Attack the masks to take out these enemies. Firearms work very well, while sword attacks are best used to deflect their scissors or scythes. Their body cannot be harmed by any attacks, so don't bother aiming for their cloaked forms. The Sin Scissors are more powerful than the Sin Scythes, but they are slow attackers and are rather easy to dodge. Keep in mind that they will run through walls to avoid your attacks. Sin Scythes utilize spinning attacks and will attempt to throw scythes at Dante, and are also capable of utilizing more scythes the more wounded they become.

Death Scissors use curved cutting shears and will attempt to imprison Dante in a dark energy field to restrict movement space. Death Scythes carry 4 scythes into battle and can conjure whirlwinds to propel Dante into the air (these can be exploited to get above the Death Scythe and use your Air Raid technique). The Death Scythe may go berserk and throw all 4 scythes at Dante. They are extremely powerful, and like the others, will travel through walls to escape your attacks as well.

Background
The Sin Scissors are likely a reference to the Moirae, who determined the fate of each mortal with a thread. In the case of the Sin Scissors, their ability to use scissors as weapons is a possible reference to Atropos, who was responsible for cutting the thread of each mortal by determining the manner and time of their deaths.

The Sin Scythes are likely inspired by the classical Western rendition of the Grim Reaper, which is often portrayed as a skeletal figure in a black cloak wielding a long scythe.